I had the good fortune of meeting Shelly King, the author, at the book launch of "The Moment of Everything". Shelly came across as a warm, friendly and funny person. I was curious to see if her book was anything like her.
The Moment of Everything is Shelly's debut novel. I must say it does not disappoint. A book about book stores and "Lady Chatterley's Lover". What could go wrong with that? Maggie Dupre has been "involuntarily separated from payroll" at a Silicon Valley start-up. Sounds familiar? Living in Mountain View and spending numerous hours on Castro Street I had begun to understand this mysterious bubble, that is Silicon Valley. Reading a book set in the place you live in, was comforting and at times eye-opening.
Maggie navigates, what can sometimes be pretentious Silicon Valley culture with charm, humor and a bit of girl power. I could identify myself with Maggie on so many levels. To begin with, her love for books and that she was a non-techie in the Bay Area. Confused about her purpose in life (a theme that I struggle with even today) Maggie pines for her "perfect" life with the flashy job and fat paycheck. She starts working in the used book store on Castro street to escape the reality of her situation. What was once an escape from job hunting, turns out to be just the thing she needed to find herself.
In the book store, Maggie is entangled in a love story with a surprising twist. Her independent streak, snarky remarks and gumption help progress an otherwise cheesy romantic storyline. Shelly does an excellent job of filling the pages with an eclectic mix of characters from the hardcore gamer, the retired Berkeley hippie, to the uptight southern mother. A book lovers book, The Moment of Everything, conveys the quintessential old world charm of the past with a modern, complicated and power hungry present.
